What is a circuit breaker and what does it have to do with health?

Imagine you are in an aeroplane ready to take off when suddenly one of the engines stops running. The plane is pulled back to the ramp and mechanics are called up to fix the problem. From the window of the plane you can see and hear the mechanics working on fixing the engine. You’re sitting on your seat, starting to feel a little worried of what’s going on. Minutes, half an hour, an hour passes by while the mechanics and engineers trying to work out what the problem is. You’re getting quite anxious on your seat, wondering if it’s a good idea to take this flight after all..

Then after almost two hours of waiting you hear the captain’s voice reassuring that the mechanics have found the problem, fixed it and you are ready to depart shortly. Apparently, it was just a circuit breaker that had tripped causing the engine to shut down. He says the circuit breaker has now been replaced and you are good to go.

Do you know what a circuit breaker is?

It is a safety mechanism, an electrical switch that will shut down the engine in case there is an electric failure, overload or a problem in the engine thus protecting the rest of the system.

Think about it.

It is a safety mechanism that shuts down in case there is a problem.

Knowing that it is only the circuit breaker that has now been replaced, would you still take that flight? What about what caused the circuit breaker to trip in the first place? What if it happens again while you’re in the air?

Finding the Z factor of life

In October the Home Workout Challenge team embarked from the dark and cold Finland to the sunny and warm south coast of Spain. The purpose of the trip was not only to fill up our vitamin D stores, but also to attend a health seminar The Z Factor held by the wonderful and inspiring Joseph McClendon III.

Joseph is a neuropsychologist, a success coach and an expert in life transformation. He is an enthusiastic spokesperson for healthy living and eating and it is obvious that he really practises what he preaches. Seriously, the man is in his 60s, but looks at least 20 years younger! There’s a true role model for everyone!

We left the seminar bursting with energy, new ideas and eager to share all that we learned!

Fixing the problem, not the outcome

Coming back to the circuit breaker. You may be wondering how it is related to your health.

Let me explain. Just like a circuit breaker is a warning signal that something is wrong in an engine, problems with health such as headaches, poor digestion or high blood pressure can be a warning signal that something is wrong in your body.

What is interesting is how this warning signal is treated.

In the aeroplane example, it was the circuit breaker that was replaced. What about the original problem that caused the breaker to trip in the first place?

If you’re suffering from headache, do you take a painkiller? If you’re suffering from poor digestion or heartburn, do you take medication to relieve the symptoms?

What if instead of fixing the outcome you would concentrate on fixing the problem!

Suffering from headaches, poor digestion, high blood pressure, arthritis, obesity, lack of energy or some other challenge could, in fact, be your body’s way of signalling that something about your lifestyle or diet is not right. Instead of relying on the power of medication, you should be searching for an answer elsewhere. Fueling your body with the right kind of food, getting more sleep or removing the stressors in your life can do wonders for your health.

The circuit breaker example was one of the first eye-opening stories shared by Joseph during the seminar weekend. He made us convinced that properly nourishing both your body and mind will lead to more health, happiness, energy, and vitality in your life. It all comes down to your lifestyle and the choices that you make.

5 Success factors for a vibrant life!

What are the keys for a vibrant life, then? Here are some of the key points we learned during the seminar.

1. Awaken

The first step in the pursuit of improving the quality of your life is to become aware of your current situation. You have to know where you are to determine where you are going. We all want a good, long, healthy and active life that we can be proud of and there’s nothing stopping you from achieving that. You just need to take action. All the information that you need for achieving your goals and dreams are within your reach. You just need to believe in yourself, exit your comfort zone and take a step forward.

A good way to get started is not to take everything so seriously. Life is fun! Laugh, take joy out of little things. When you do your best to enjoy each day and keep your eyes and senses open, good things will come to you. What’s also important is to become your own best friend and consistently practise what you want to achieve or who you want to become.

2. Nourish your body for more energy

Properly nourishing both your body and mind helps in overcoming challenges like aging, low level of energy, depression, high blood pressure, headache, poor digestion.. If you are doing something wrong, your body will surely protest. Think of the circuit breaker.

For example, poor digestion could be your body’s way of signalling that the food that you eat is not optimal for you. Food intolerances are becoming more and more common all the time, causing all kinds of health problems. If your stomach looks and feels like a balloon after eating a loaf of bread, ditch the bread for a few days to see if you feel any different (I bet you do). It’s important to listen to your body. Otherwise you are guaranteed to do yourself and your intestines harm.

Your cells need energy to keep you alive. This energy comes from the food that you eat. Take a wild guess whether your cells prefer food that’s fresh, healthy and nutrient-rich to a quick burger and fries with close to zero nutrients.

Optimizing your diet for instance by taking care of the acid/alkaline balance can significantly increase your energy level, health, and wellbeing. A good way to get started is by eating more vegetables. Along with alkalizing your body, they’ll give you nutrients and vitamins. Eat as much as you like and as many different kinds as you like and you can hear your cells saying “thank you”!

3. Remember to breathe

As crazy as it may sound, we often forget to breathe! In fact, studies show that the majority of people don’t even know how to breathe correctly.

If the pace of breathing is too fast and the breaths not deep enough, your brain may not be getting enough oxygen, which leaves you tired and affects your performance both mentally and physically. This becomes worse if you’re sitting down all day, hunched over your computer. This way the bottom 3rd of your lungs is collapsed and you can’t get as much energy from oxygen as you need.

Luckily, this is easy to fix. Just a bit of practise will make you a world-class breather.

Try this simple exercise once per day:

1. Stand straight.
2. Take a deep breath through your nose.
3. While inhaling, expand your diaphragm (your stomach) out, not up.
4. Exhale.
5. Repeat 5 times.

The secret is in step 3, breathing from the diaphragm. When taking a deep breath, don’t raise your shoulders. Concentrate on expanding your stomach outwards. That’s how you get the maximal benefit of breathing, i.e. energy for your brain.

Breathing is a natural detoxifier, too, so keep on breathing everyone!

4. Keep yourself hydrated

Another important element of health is water.

How many glasses of water do you drink daily? No, soft drinks, juices, coffee and tea don’t count.

Water is the number one essential factor to all the vital functions of your body. 75% of your body is water. 90% of your brain is water.

The reserves of water need constant replenishment, so you should keep a glass or a bottle or water at hand all the time! Each day you should consume 3-5 liters of water. Are you?

Dehydration can be a cause of many health issues. You’d be surprised how much water affects everything. It’s the most simple cure for tiredness and low energy. Also, the cause of a headache could be as simple as dehydration. Drinking water also improves digestion along with cleansing and detoxing your body.

So, seriously guys, drink that water! No excuses.

5. Move your body

The last, but by no means the least key point for achieving a vibrant life is exercise.

You could be eating the healthiest food on the planet, sleeping well, breathing deeply and keeping yourself hydrated, but if you’re sitting down all day at work, in your car, on the sofa at home and barely moving a muscle in between, the chances are you’re not feeling as energetic as you could be and you’re bound to see the effects of being sedentary sooner or later. Whether it’s in a form of a bulging stomach, growing butt or some sort of health problem, you will see the result of not being physically active at some point of your life.

If you’ve already participated in our 7-Day Home Workout Challenge you know that you don’t need fancy equipment or a whole lot of time to do an effective workout. Really, 15 minutes per day is enough!

Do the workouts at home or wherever as long as you do them! Moving your body is crucial for a number of different reasons. For instance, exercise and physical activity gives you more energy, more self-esteem, decreases the risk of many health issues like heart attack, osteoporosis, depression, and stress. And finally, surprise surprise, exercising helps you to stay fit!

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These are five out of the eight key factors of a healthy, happy, and vibrant life. All these key points are covered in depth in our Personal Fitness Consultation. We will go through these steps with you and find the best solution tailored just for you in order to achieve an active and energetic life and body of your dreams! Read more about the Personal Fitness Consultation here.

About Elisa Lindholm

I'm a sports and fitness enthusiast, all into working out at home and developing home workouts that take your breath away! I follow the Paleo diet and I'm constantly searching for new recipes to try out. I have quite a bit of a sweet tooth, so if you know good paleo dessert recipes, send them my way, please! :)

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